Missouri cross country teams prepare for NCAA regional

COLUMBIA — With the NCAA Cross Country Championships on the horizon, the Missouri men's and women's cross country teams are heading up to Ames, Iowa, for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship on Friday.

The men's team is scheduled to face heavy opposition, racing against No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 13 Tulsa and No. 24 Iowa State. The Tigers expect to be led by junior Sam Dickerson, who finished 11th at the Southeastern Conference Championships on Friday.

The women's team will also have ranked opponents, with No. 7 Iowa State and No. 16 Minnesota in the race. Leading the Tigers will be freshman Kaitlyn Fisher, who placed sixth at the SEC Championships, earning All-SEC Team and All-SEC Freshman Team honors.

The top two teams and top four individuals automatically advance to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 23. There are additional at-large berths to the NCAA Championships announced after all the NCAA regionals are completed.